Monitoring vine water use in real time

A new technique to manage irrigation in the vineyard

The regulation of vine transpiration is a fundamental process that determines the harvest quality. Continuously monitoring the vine transpiration helps to characterize the intensity of water deficit. Transpiration level reflects the simultaneous effects of climate, water, soil and varietal on water consumption. The transpiration level is thus a direct indicator of the vine water status. This indicator has the advantage of being available in real-time and is obtained nondestructively. This makes it possible to anticipate the sensitivity of the grapes to shrivel when the deficit is too severe or to optimize agricultural practices (irrigation, hedging, thinning, cover crop) according to their effects on water deficit. Water use profiles are also used to classify the different vineyards’ performance and compare the effect of each vintage on the plant.